Abstract
Positioning patients in the prone position leads to reduced hospital mortality rates for those with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). What constitutes the optimal feeding strategy for prone patients with ARDS is controversial. We conducted a retrospective study that enrolled 110 prone patients with ARDS in two medical intensive care units (ICUs) from September 2015 to November 2018. Inclusion criteria were as follows: age ≥20 years, diagnosis of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, diagnosis of ARDS within 72 h of ICU admission, placement in a prone position within the first 7 days of ICU admission, and ICU stay of more than 7 days. Exclusion criteria were as follows: nil per os orders because of gastrointestinal bleeding or hemodynamic instability, and ventilator dependency because of chronic respiratory failure. The consecutive daily enteral nutrition(EN)/EN + parenteral nutrition(PN) ratio could predict hospital mortality rates within the first 7 days of admission when using generalized estimating equations (p = 0.013). A higher average EN/EN + PN ratio within the first 7 days predicted (hazard ratio: 0.97, confidence interval: 0.96-0.99) lower hospital mortality rates. To reduce hospital mortality rates, caloric intake with a higher EN ratio may be considered for patients in prone positions with ARDS.